The resolution to the rift between the Patriots and Matthew Judon could be a trade out of town.
Multiple teams have inquired about the star pass rusher during his contract standoff with the team, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported.
Judon has been unhappy with his contract all offseason, talking about it on a podcast and appearing frustrated while talking with coach Jerod Mayo during training camp in late July.
New England offered Judon an extension to the one year remaining on his deal but the offer was not accepted, per the report.
Judon is slated to make $6.5 million in 2024 and has recently criticized the Patriots for not using their salary cap space.
“I don’t want to be the villain. I don’t want to be the bad guy,” Judon said on the “Shut Up Marc” podcast. “But it’s like, shoot, bro, help me out. We’ve got the most cap [space] in the league right now. They don’t even get the money. What the hell are y’all doing with it? Y’all literally just not using it.”
Judon conducted that interview right around the time he had a heated confrontation with Mayo.
He has since been at training camp and participating despite the tension with the franchise.
Judon, who will turn 32 on Thursday, was a Pro Bowler for four straight years prior to his injury-shortened season in 2023.
The star edge rusher tallied 15.5 sacks in 2022 but missed 13 games in 2023 due to injury.
Under former coach Bill Belichick, the franchise, which was supremely successful in winning six Super Bowls, was well known for letting players go without any emotion involved in the decision.
Safety Lawyer Milloy and defensive linemen Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork are successful examples of this strategy from the early 2000s, although pass rusher Chandler Jones had multiple successful seasons after departing for Arizona from New England.